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I had to send it to Apple for them to fix it, and it took a few days. But I'm back now, and my computer is all shiny and working again!
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wildest dreams
VOLUME I

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"Three – two – one –"

Following the piercing noise of the whistle, Harry and Cedric disappeared into the maze. But the Hogwarts crowd kept on cheering, until Fleur was gone, and even a little after that. But soon, it was obvious that the only thing left to do was to wait, once again, so everyone sat down, looking at the maze anxiously.

"Those tasks would be a bloody lot more interesting if we could actually see what's going on" muttered Fred.

I nodded – I had to agree with him. But then again, there was probably a reason why we didn't. Maybe the obstacles the champions had to face were too terrible for the crowd to see… The thought sent chills down my spine. I hoped Harry would be all right. I even thought about Cedric, and Fleur, and Krum – even if I didn't support them, I didn't want anything to happen to them either.

I could feel the tension in the crowd around us. Even if everyone tried to distract themselves by talking, playing cards, or even studying, we all ended up glancing anxiously at the entrance of the maze, hoping to see a familiar face appear, smiling in victory. But the minutes passed, and the maze remained silent.

Even if I was worried about Harry and the other champions, I still couldn't stop thinking about the letter my parents had sent me. I honestly didn't know what to make of it – if I should go and meet them or not. Turning away from Molly's conversation with the others about the merits of Witch Weekly, I took out the letter from my pocket and read it again, and again. '…if there is the smallest part of you that will let us see you…'

"You should stop reading that."

I glanced at George, who looked at me with a serious look on his face. I sighed.

"I know. I can't help it" I replied softly.

Without another word, he snatched the letter from my hands, and put it in his pocket.

"George…"

"Addy. I know it's a big deal, but… you're driving yourself mad over this."

I sighed again. I knew he was right, but I also knew that I couldn't stop myself.

"I know it's hard for you to do, but… don't overthink it."

I smiled.

"You know me too well, Weasley."

"It's my job."

I shook my head before kissing him tenderly. I was truly lucky to have him. He slid his arm around my shoulder, and I settled my head on his chest, enjoying the sensation of the light, chilly wind.

"I know I already asked you, but… what do you think I should do ?" I said.

"I dunno, Adds…"

"What if it was your parents ? What do you do if you were me?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

He took a deep breath.

"I reckon I'd go."

I slowly nodded – for some reason, I expected him to say that.

"Just to get closure, you know" he continued. "If it works out, brilliant. If it doesn't… well, at least you'll be settled. And you can move on properly."

"You're probably right" I sighed. "I just..."

"What?"

I hesitated.

"Nothing. It's stupid."

"Rubbish. Go on. Tell me."

"I just – I don't know… What if they don't like me ? What if I don't live up to their expectations?"

"You're right. It's stupid."

I looked up at him. He looked so serious – I bursted out laughing.

"Bloody idiot" I muttered, hitting him hard on the chest with the back of my hand.

"If I'm really an idiot, that means you have been snogging one for five months."

"Yes, but the difference with the other idiots is that I like that particular idiot very much."

"Oh, do you now?"

I rolled my eyes as he looked at me, faking surprise.

"Well, why don't you tell me what you like so much about this idiot."

I stared back at him, arching an eyebrow.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Very well" I said.

I sighed, trying to think about something coherent. Why did I like about George, except for basically everything ? I was sure he wanted me to be more precise.

"Okay. So, this complete and utter idiot that I like –"

"Oi!"

"Hey, don't interrupt me, or I won't say anything."

He slid his finger across his lips, telling me he wouldn't interrupt me again. I chuckled.

"All right. What do I like about this idiot… I like his hair."

George rolled his eyes.

"The color, of course" I continued. "But I mostly love how it's always messy. Seriously, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know what a hairbrush is…"

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"I also like his eyes. And how they always shine, even when it's dark."

I blushed slightly as I saw him smile softly, grabbing my hand to gently stroke it.

"I like how he takes care of me. I like how he knows me so well, probably better than I know myself. How he knows how I feel all the time, how he just… gets me. I also hate that part of him."

He chuckled again.

"And I like how I feel when I'm with him – young, and free. Oh! And he's a very good kisser."

I smiled. I could have gone on and on, but that felt right. George kissed my hand softly.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

"Not bad. But now, it's my turn to tell you about this nutter I like."

I glared at him, but didn't stop him – I was curious to see what he had to say, after all.

"First thing is… she's a complete nutter."

"Seriously?"

"Hey, we said no interruption."

"Sorry."

He rolled his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"She is also the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I felt my cheeks starting to burn. It was probably embarrassing how red I was.

"Seriously. Her eyes are this pale shade of blue – and you get lost in them everytime you look at her. It's maddening."

I shook my head. Idiot. A complete idiot.

"She's smart. She's like a endless… jar of ideas. And brilliant ones."

A jar?

"She's adorable, in general. Even more when she gets mad at someone. She can eat an impressive amount of pancakes in an impressively short amount of time."

I bursted out laughing.

"And she makes me feel like the luckiest bloke in the world, because I've got the best girl in the world beside me. It's true – I tell everyone, 'sorry, mate, but I'm the one who got her. Better luck next time'."

He was smiling so brightly – and my heart was so full, I felt like it could explore this second.

"Come here" I said, pulling his face towards mine.

I kissed him. I didn't feel like I had to say anything else.

"Oh, you two are adorable."

I pulled away from the kiss to see Molly smiling at us. I smiled awkwardly – it was a little weird, after all. I expected Fred to say something, but when I spotted him a few seats away, I saw that he was very busy snogging Angelina. Chuckling, I settled my head back on George's chest and smiled. I already felt much better. George was right. I couldn't let this overwhelm me too much. I would go, and see what happened. I was a Gryffindor, after all, I had to act like one from time to time.

Soon, we learned that both Fleur and Krum had been removed from the maze, which only left Harry and Cedric as a possible Triwizard Champion. All Hogwarts students were cheering loudly and excitedly. At this point, I believed everyone would be happy either way. I was in the middle of a very heated argument with Lee about the skills of the Chudley Canons' Seeker when a loud noise made us turn our heads to the entrance of the maze – Harry and Cedric were back.

I stood up with the others, cheering with enthusiasm, but soon stopped. Something was wrong. Harry was leaning over Cedric, who laid on the grass, looking very pale. I frowned – was he hurt ? I stretched my neck to try and see what happened, but I soon didn't need to – it only took seconds before the whispers got to us – he's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!

I stared in horror at the scene. It was like my heart had stopped beating, and the world had stopped turning. I felt George grab my hand, and clench it tightly. I couldn't believe it – it was impossible. Dead. He couldn't be. The words turned and twisted in my head. Dead. Cedric Diggory, dead. Through the crowd, I could see Harry, holding on tightly to him, not wanting to let go. No, he was simply hurt, or he had fainted, that was all –

"Let me through!"

Someone rushed past us, struggling to make his way through the crowd. My stomach turned.

"That's my son! My boy!"

I squeezed George's hand, hard. Amos Diggory, falling on his knees, crying, screamed his pain at the sky. It was heart-wrenching. I couldn't stand to watch it happen – and took refuge in George's arms. He held me tight. I wish there was something I could have done. But there was nothing to be done.

I kept telling myself that it was impossible, that he couldn't truly be dead, that things like that didn't really happen – they were just stories, weren't they ? But as I saw the look of other people's faces, and as I heard the sobs and the whimpers, and as I heard Amos Diggory, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. It was useless. The harsh truth was there, right in front of me, all around me. Cedric Diggory was dead. And the world suddenly got much darker.

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